When Teresa met Angela
by DreamingxAloud
Summary: A meeting between a fiery brunette and a gentle blonde
1. Red Dreaming

**AN: Hello lovely people, thank you for reading this! So basically this is the result of one question that refused to get out of my head: What would happen if Teresa Lisbon met Angela Ruskin? References to 5x09 and it will only be a few chapters long. I just had to set things up in this chapter, really so bear with me. Enjoy, and reviews are always welcome **

Lisbon leant her back against the black kitchen cupboards in the model home that she and Jane were hiding out in to catch Noel Lamb's killer. It had been a long day and she had to admit that if it was anyone but Jane's hunch, she wouldn't be here. Hopefully she'd at least manage to get a few hours of sleep, even if the cool tile floor wasn't ideal. A small smile came to her lips when she thought of how silly Jane had looked when she had simply opened the gate of the home rather than jumping over it. One of the rare times that she had been able to make her consultant look even a little foolish, so she was going to savour it. Teresa attempted to make herself as comfortable as possible, brushing a strand of dark brown hair out of her face and shifting her position slightly. "I'm sorry that it's so late, Lisbon" said Jane softly, looking at her with gentle blue eyes. "S'okay" Lisbon muttered, stretching her leg out. "It comes with the job". "Would you like me to lull you to sleep?" he enquired with a grin, voice going from caring to teasing. "Not a chance" she retorted, glaring at him. Patrick Jane would never hypnotise her again.-ever. Even if it was only to get some rest for a change. She swore that being around an insomniac so much was starting to rub off on her. "Close your eyes and rest, Teresa" Jane urged "I'll wake you if anyone comes". After debating whether or not it would be risking her job if she didn't close the case because she was fast asleep, her body won out and she let her eyelids flutter shut. Although she'd never admit it, it was kind of nice having Jane here looking out for her. Raising three brothers and protecting them from an alcoholic father meant that she was used to taking care of herself, and she usually didn't let anyone who wasn't related worry about her wellbeing, and she wasn't thrilled when her brothers did either. A memory flashed in her brain, of herself telling Jane that their unit was a family. It was kind of sweet, and it was nice to be close to him again after the friction of the past few months. "You're thinking to hard" the blonde haired man sitting opposite informed her with a hint of amusement in his voice. She let out an annoyed huff. It wasn't fair that he could still read her so easily. A chuckle was the last thing Teresa heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Opening her bright green eyes, Lisbon found herself in a lush green forest, her nose tingling with the scent of pine. Glancing down she saw a winding pathway and followed it without hesitation. Relaxing slightly under the crunch of the autumn leaves, she froze as she heard…..someone playing the piano? "Well this isn't weird at all" she muttered to herself, deciding to go where the soft lilting music was leading her. Coming in to a brightly lit meadow, Lisbon saw a woman with curly blonde hair at a white piano. Upon her arrival, the other woman glanced up and closed the distance between them, long black dress fluttering as she walked. "Hello, Teresa. It's so nice to finally meet you" said the woman with a warm smile, putting out a slender hand for Lisbon to shake. But the brunette's body had locked up in shock. She knew that face, those intelligent, kind brown eyes. It couldn't be real, this didn't make any sense. "M-mrs Jane?" The words came out a high pitched squeak, so different from her normal voice. "Angela, please, call me Angela" replied the other woman, smile still going strong. "How is this happening?" asked Lisbon, scanning the other woman's face warily. "You're asleep" was the matter of fact reply "and when your mind isn't fully active it allows you to transcend the barriers of the physical world". Angela laughed as Lisbon raised an eyebrow. 'Always the sceptic, aren't you Teresa". "I'm sorry, but the idea of having a conversation with a dead woman is just a little hard to wrap my brain around". Realising how insensitive that sounded, Lisbon opened her mouth to apologise but was interrupted. "It's ok" soothed Angela "I accepted what happened a long time ago. The reason I'm here is to talk about Patrick". "What about him?" asked Teresa, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. "How about we sit down?" Angela suggested, gesturing to the piano seat behind her.

***_* So, what do you guys think so far? Hopefully it's not too cheesy, I wasn't sure if it being a dream was too corny or if it would work. I'd also really like some feedback on my interpretation of Angela, we know so little about her so I'm kind of making her personality up as I go. More on that next chapter. And did you like the extra scene I added in 5x09?**


	2. Conversations and Confessions

**AN: Hi everyone, I just wanted to thank you all for the reviews, follows and favourites, they inspire me to keep writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter, let's find out exactly why Angela wants to talk to our Lisbon about Jane ;) Have a lovely day/afternoon/night, wherever you are in the world! X**

Sliding onto the smooth white chair beside Angela, Lisbon had to keep reminding herself to breathe. It's just a dream, she reminded herself, it's not real. "Just because you aren't awake doesn't mean that this isn't happening" the other woman informed her, dark eyes dancing with amusement. Chewing her bottom lip, Lisbon shook her head. "If I think about this too hard I'll end up with a migraine" she joked. Then, becoming serious, she shifted so that she could look Angela in the face. "Why am I here?" Sighing, Angela glanced down, looking unexpectedly vulnerable. "He's losing himself."

It was barely a whisper, but there was Teresa's answer. "I know" admitted Lisbon, thinking of her constant worry over Jane's mental health. "I promise you, I'm doing-"Her sentence was cut off when warm arms embraced her and a hand squeezed her shoulder. "I know" breathed Angela, pulling back and looking Lisbon in the eye. "I know how much you've done for him, how much you'restill doing for him. I can't ever tell you how grateful I am that he found you. If you hadn't have met him-well, he'd probably be with Charlotte and I by now". Blinking back tears, the image of a Jane who didn't join the CBI formed in her head before she could stop it. The picture of him without her, alone and broken deciding to finally end his life made her feel like someone was squeezing her heart. "I'm so sorry" she stammered, feeling as if the words were extremely inadequate. What could you say to someone whose life had been cut short so viciously? "I'm sorry that something so horrible happened to you and your daughter. You didn't deserve to die like that". "Thank you" answered Angela. "You're such a good person, Teresa. You have to be tough a lot of the time but you have an incredible heart. I've watched you as long as you've worked with Patrick, your strength saved him. I'm not sure anyone else could have done it. I wanted to punch him in the nose myself after that stupid stint in Vegas." Lisbon couldn't help but agree. "I considered it" she admitted, grinning.

She felt a sense of camaraderie and friendship with Jane's late wife, as bizarre as the situation was. "I know it's getting worse now, though" murmured Angela, shaking her head. "I always hoped that he'd wake up one day and realise how much he has to live for. I'd give anything to see him again, but I can't have him join me. Not yet. My daughter and I didn't have a choice. Patrick can be happy again, though. He can have a life without obsessing over revenge". Watching the golden light come through the tree's, Teresa felt strangely comfortable and relaxed. It was beautiful here, and she enjoyed the sensation of the slight breeze playing with her hair. "He loves you, you know". Lisbon froze, all feelings of calm disintegrating. Her fingers gripped the edge of the cool, smooth piano seat tightly as she grappled for something to say that wouldn't show how awkward she was feeling. Jane's dead wife telling her that he was in love with her? There was only so much any normal person could handle!

**AN: What did you think of their conversation so far? What's Lisbon going to do now that Angela has addressed the elephant in the room? Tell me what you reckon! All it takes is the click of a button ****J**


	3. Promises and Admissions

**AN: Hope you enjoy! I was a little unsure about this one, hope you guys like the direction it's taking**

Fighting the urge to pinch herself and wonder what the hell is wrong with her brain, Teresa let her eyes flutter shut. "How can you say that Jane's in love with me?" It was obvious from his devotion to his Red John quest and the fact that he still wore his wedding ring that Patrick was still very much in love with his wife. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes that he absolutely adores you. He gave you a pony for your birthday, killed the person who could lead him to Red John to keep you safe and promised to protect you no matter what. He trusts you more than anyone else in his life and he actually lets you in. And he told you his feelings himself." Angela Jane's words sent a flood of memories through Lisbon's head, dredging up issues that both warmed her and terrified her. Opening her green irises she faced the other woman's kind brown ones. "But he pretended not to remember it" she pointed out, unconvinced. "Plus, he left me for six months without looking back once". "He pretended not to remember because it scares him. He doesn't think deserves to be loved and he doesn't want you to get hurt because of him. He cares about you." Sighing, Lisbon remembered the shock and emotion of his desperate hug and the words before the shot rang out.

"Good luck, Teresa. Love you". It was etched into her brain. "He was miserable when he was away from you. He hated Vegas almost as much as you did. He knew if he called you, he'd need to see you, that's the reason he didn't answer your calls and texts". "How the hell do you know that?" exclaimed Lisbon, feeling defensive. This was all based on what Angela guess work! No one knew what went through that man's head. "I know my husband" replied Angela, the corners of her mouth twitching up slightly. "He's easy to read when he's by himself, when he's not putting on any act. And like I said, I've seen you two, the way you are with each other. You have a very special relationship. And I know the feeling is mutual". Teresa's cheeks flamed pink, and she looked down in embarrassment and shame. "I'm sorry". It was a broken whisper, the only thing she could think of to say. What else do you tell someone whose husband you've fallen in love with? Against her will, a tear slipped down her cheek. How had this happened? How had Patrick Jane conned his way into her heart?

She couldn't pinpoint a moment when she'd realised it. They had always bantered; it brightened her day and made work more interesting. Genuine affection had turned into friendship over time. They cared deeply about one another, and it wasn't until he had removed himself from her life that she realised how much their relationship meant to her. He was her best friend and somewhere along the way she'd fallen in love with him, despite her better judgement. "You can't choose who you fall in love with, Teresa" said Angela gently. "I know better than anyone how sweet and charming he can be. But you've also put up with him at his worst, even when he's tried to drive you away. I can't blame you for falling for him, even though I would give anything to see him. I can't stand to see him so unhappy, though, and I think you're the only person who can change that. You're goodness, your love, has kept him from going over the edge before and I need you to keep doing that for me, please. Before there's nothing left for you to save". Lisbon bowed her head in agreement, straight dark brown hair surrounding her face as she did so. "I will, I promise". She would do everything in her power to make sure that Patrick Jane would not die because of his pursuit of Red John.


End file.
